City Shadows
by Snowy Raine
Summary: "You're Ice?" She smiled, "I was." "Then who are you?" A swipe over his muzzle. She flashed him a look and raised her chin, looking almost proud. "You may know me as Shade." /Chapter 3 up. Summary might change\
1. Prologue

**This story is rated T for violence and some content but NO details.**

**Glad I got that out of the way… Anyway, this is supposed to be a dark story and perhaps a bit sad although I have no clue where I'm going to put that in. This is my first fan-fic that I've actually published and hope to finish. Please please PLEASE review. I really don't care even care if it's flames, or just something you want me to fix. I'm desperate! =3**

**Now on with the story!**

_Prologue_

The forest was silent and still except for the occasional bird chirps and the leaves blowing in the wind. At least, that's what it seemed like on the outside.

Small mammals such as mice and squirrels hunted for nuts and fruit to feed them and their families. Even though they didn't know it, they were prey for the cats and other creatures that lurked in the forest.

It was plentiful here. No one except a few had found the place and found it full of life and food. The few that _did_ find the place normally couldn't stay. They were either on a journey, couldn't settle down, or they had heard the rumors.

The rumors about _her._

Cold, bone-chilling eyes were all the survivors saw; an icy blue on a black figure.

A few were lucky and had never encountered this cat while they were in the forest. Others barely made it alive with how scratched up and broken they were. These were the cats that had passed on the facts but soon they turned to rumors, no one knowing if it was true or not.

But some of the cats that went in… never came back out.

The rumors said that most of the cats that died in there were mainly black with white patches. And then with closer examination, you would see most of those cats were toms.

Some of the smart and clever cats would suggest that she was hunting for someone, or at least training her skills for them. But they were cast aside, with majority of the others believing that she just enjoyed killing and the feel of blood on her paws.

However, right next to this 'dark' forest, there was a two-legplace. Once through the forest, cats would end up here. It wasn't necessarily better though. There was a large group of cats that lived here, most under the rule of the leader.

He went by the name Hook although no one knew if that was his _real_ name.

He had razor sharp claws, longer than the average cat. At least, that was what everyone said whether that was true or not.

Rarely did anyone see him other than his loyal subjects and it was said that he had a brother that looked almost the same as him. No one could tell that there was two different cats unless they got very close, which just so happened almost never. Only select she-cats and high-ranking guards could get close enough to know that there were two different cats.

The brother was said to have stayed in a secret place so no one would know about him but he was said to stand in place of Hook at some battles.

The only problem was one traitor who managed to get away. He spilled the info to the other cats of the city before running out into the forest.

No one knew if he died or not but some say he came back into the city and was hiding somewhere, possibly never to be found again unless he made himself known.

All the rumors still float around, but no one is quite sure what to believe. A murdering cat in the forest or a strong group of cats in the city? Or both, perhaps?

Some figured neither existed until they saw one or the other with their own eyes. Most of the time, they didn't see at all after that.

Some believed both of them and took to the life of a kitty-pet for safety; eating food shaped like rabbit droppings and allowing two-legs to care for them night and day.

A lot of cats still didn't know what to believe and kept together in small groups, much smaller than Hook's group. They normally consisted of close friends or family and had about three or so members. Sometimes there would be more but it was most likely due to kits and most never lived to have families or their own life.

Two-legs were not a problem most of the time. They normally stayed inside the buildings and rarely left in there monsters.

Normally the place was almost peaceful if you excluded the fights that sometimes broke out against Hook's group. With the number of cats he had though, Hook always won. He used the power he had to boss other cats around for food and comfortable shelter, often moving his camp around to make sure he had control of all parts of the city and for a better spot for him and his cats.

But now, things might change for better or for worse when this normal, unchanging life is disrupted but by who…?

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((**Yes, I little cheesy in my opinion but nothing was coming to mind. xP**))

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_Kill him._

In front of the hidden cat was a black and white tom. The patches of white were all wrong on the body but her mind replaced the colors with the ones she was expecting. It made it that much easier for her.

The voice telling her to kill the cat was growing stronger and louder and she took a step forward, her pelt hidden in the shadows of a tree. The tom was eating a mouse, his back to her and didn't see the grin she had on her face, nor the cat herself.

Her claws slid out, waiting to meet flesh and blood and she took another step.

_Kill him!_ The voice shouted, _Kill him now!_

Her shoulders tensed up and she jumped forward, having the whole thing timed out to show she had done this many times before.

Her mouth opened showing many white, sharp teeth and she bit down on the back of his neck. If she had wanted to kill him, she would have put more pressure but this was a special case. She wanted him alive.

But only barely.

The tom attempted to fight back but he knew he had been caught when he was forced to the ground in a crouch."W-what do y-you want?" he stuttered, clearly in pain. He was shaking in fear and that only made her laugh as she let go of him.

"I want you to deliver a message." She meowed simply, walking around to face the tom. Her voice was slightly high-pitched, normal for a she-cat, and had power behind it. It also seemed to have a dark force behind it, almost like she was controlled but not quite.

"A-a message?" the tom raised his head, clearly in shock. The she-cat snarled and forced him back against a tree.

"You speak when I tell you!" she growled, raising a claw to his throat. A very thin line of blood began trailing down his fur. He nodded vigorously and the she-cat smiled evilly. "Good." She turned around, certain the tom wouldn't try to escape. She would just kill him and find another if he did.

"You know the city? Just outside this forest?" she asked, turning her head to look at the shaking cat. _Pitiful, just pitiful._ she thought, _I expected more of a challenge._

He nodded and then noticed that that didn't seem to satisfy her, "Y-yes ma'am." Her ears perked up, she liked the sound of that.

"Well, do you know of Hook?"

He did the same thing.

"I need you to see him and tell him…" she turned around, almost pressing her nose against his, "Tell him 'Ice is back.'"

His eyes widened, "You're Ice?" he asked, a bit surprised that she would tell _him_ her name. Once he noticed what he had said, he shut his mouth quickly but it was too late. He felt a burst of pain in his shoulder and he knew she had clawed him. He whimpered but did nothing else.

She smiled, sweet in a way but also not when you knew what she was smiling about. Her right paw was slowly dripping blood as she held it up. "I was." The black and white cat raised a brow and when she said nothing more, he spoke again hoping that was what she wanted.

"Then who are you?" He got a swipe over his muzzle, just barely missing his eye and it was all he could do not to yowl out. But it wasn't because he spoke out of turn, no, she wanted him to ask. She had clawed him just for the feel of it and his reaction.

She flashed him a look and raised her chin, looking almost proud.

"You may know me as Shade."

**Isn't she cute? XD Anyway, she will be the main character of this story. I might switch points of view depending on what I'm writing about, such as switching to Hook (next main character) but not often. And another detail, she has some voices in her head that are normally violent but sometimes she should listen to them. *wink wink* *shuts mouth***


	2. Chapter 1: Preparing

**Alright… let's get this out of the way. Now, when I posted this and thought about how I was posting it under Warriors, I came to the thought… 'How could this tie to Warriors?' Not being able to actually put the warriors characters **_**into**_** by story, I have to decided to make one of the characters a former warrior. Why he left? It's a secret to be revealed. But, until he shows up you'll never know who he is! *giggle***

**Also, anyone who reviews gets a cupcake or cookie. Whichever you want!**

**I want to thank bookworm2091 and RavenmoonReader486 for being my first reviewer EVER and my second reviewer EVER! You encouraged me to keep writing and start tonight (the night of prologue making) instead of in the morning! *hands Shade plushies* Enjoy!~**

**But the rest of you get cupcakes! *removes cookie option* Haha! =P**

_Chapter 1: Preparing_

After telling the tom her name, she sent him off running toward the city. She tracked him for about an hour afterwards but he held true and went to find Hook. _I just hope he makes it alive._ She thought to herself.

A long time ago, she had once lived in the city with Hook and knew how hard it was to be with him.

Images flashed through her mind and her claws, covered in dried blood, sank deep into the earth. She closed her eyes but forced them to open to block the memories from coming back.

They hurt too much.

She snarled, swiping her claws against a tree and leaving deep scratches as wood splintered off. She forced herself to calm down and sat down, taking a deep breath. This would most likely be her last day in the woods.

_You can always come back._ The voice told her. It had always encouraged her to kill the cats that came through and she understood why it wanted her to stay.

_Not now. I have other things to attend to, _she told it. It was silent after that.

If she ever talked back to the voice, for better or for worse, it would rarely talk back. It was just one of those times again.

Pushing the memories to the back of her mind, she opened her icy blue eyes and stretched out, her claws scrapping against the earth. She looked around, hoping to find a place to settle down.

Out of the whole time she had been here, in this forest, she had never settled down in one spot. She wasn't used to it. She would always find a comfortable spot and lay down in it. Especially during these times when everyone had heard the rumors about her, no one dared come near her if they ever saw her sleeping.

Once, one cat had found her sleeping and decided to end her.

He didn't, of course.

He had made the mistake of stepping on a twig and, being the light sleeper she was, she woke up. To make him suffer, she put several deep gashes in him, mostly along his legs so he couldn't run. Then, she covered him in scratches so the pain would never end for him and he could never run from her.

After that, she stayed with him for several days, eating in front of him but never letting him take a bite. He almost starved to death but she got bored with him and ended his life, dumping him in one of the nearby rivers for someone to find.

Finding a nice, soft patch of grass to lay on, she laid down. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon. She yawned, her black paws stretched out in front of her. She rested her head on them and quickly found sleep but her dreams were nightmares.

Since she was going to head after Hook, her mind was on him almost all the time. All the memories came flooding back to her along with the pain. She even had images of her kit-hood that she had long been trying to get rid of even though that was long before she had met Hook.

If anyone had managed to find her during the night, they would have found her snarling and sometimes even growling. Luckily, no one did find her.

Once the sun began to creep up over the trees and cast some sunlight on her pelt, she woke up. Even in the morning when the sunlight was the weakest, she still felt it burning on her dark pelt.

Her fur was ruffled and as she moved under the shadows of an oak tree, she flattened it down with careful strokes. She wasn't normally one for cleaning but if she was actually going to leave the forest, her home, she wouldn't want to look crazy and insane even if the cats she met knew all the rumors.

It would just add unnecessary details that were, actually, untrue.

Once satisfied with her fur, she smelled the air for any prey. They would have left when she was attacking that tom but it had been awhile since then and they were in the area once more.

Somehow, there just so happened to be a raven in the oak tree she was sitting under. It was on a fairly low branch since there _seemed_ to be no predators around.

How wrong that bird was.

Her black pelt seemed to blend in with the shadows so she crept up to the tree before jump up onto it. She wasn't skilled with tree climbing but she knew the basics enough to catch prey in trees.

She was silent, for the most part, climbing up. She was on the side opposite of the raven so it didn't see her when she eased her way onto the branch. It was thick so it wouldn't wobble unless she was nearing the end of it.

She was silent when she creeped into jumping range but froze when the bird flapped its wings.

Luckily, it was just stretching.

She gave a silent sigh of relief before finally pouncing on the bird. It gave a loud screech of alarm which sent all the other birds in the area flying. She bit down on the neck of the bird and silenced it, jumping down to the ground.

She was a little discouraged with all the birds flying away but it didn't matter. She needed to save as much energy and strength as she could for the trip.

As she sat there eating, she was thinking about her location and how long it would take to get to the city.

_If I head out now, I should get there after the sun sets, _she thought. _But then, if I start out later, less cats will see me but I'll get there after dark. _She pondered this, taking a last bite of the raven. She decided going later.

Most cats were night cats in the city but were more hidden and seemed to stay away from each other unless it was someone from their group. During the day-time, there seemed to be less cats but they were more social. Most of these 'daytimers' were kittypets or peaceful, non-fighting cats.

Thinking of how to spend her time, she decided on hunting. If she got hungry, she wouldn't have to stop and could just sit down and eat quickly.

She perked up her ears, trying to hear a small heartbeat of possibly a mouse or vole. If there were any nearby, they were just out of her hearing range. She opened her mouth to taste the air, ignoring the scent of raven. A mouse was hidden within strong-scented flowers; a young one, she could tell, since it had come out so soon after the call of the raven she caught earlier.

She stalked forward, peering through some bushes to faintly see the fur of the mouse. Stepping forward, just about as slow as could be, she finally got within jumping range.

Lucky seemed to be with her as she sprang and quickly caught the mouse, not even letting it squeak. She smiled at the easy catch but decided this was enough for now.

She looked up to see that the sun had barely moved. She snarled at its slowness. But, seeing as she couldn't do anything, figured a short, light nap was in order.

Quickly finding a comfortable spot, she laid down. It took a short while for her to go to sleep since she wasn't used to sleeping during the day but eventually she did. Luckily, it was a dream-less sleep.

When she woke up, she stretched and sharpened her claws on a nearby tree. She was almost destined to find someone on her short journey and she wouldn't show any mercy like she did that last cat.

The sun had fallen rather fast during her rest and she had overslept a small bit meaning she would have to run some. _No worries, _she told herself, _A short run won't hurt._

_Walk; wait till nightfall._ The voice in her head told her.

She figured that it meant for her to arrive during nightfall but she couldn't be so sure. _I'll run, thanks. _She replied to the voice, as if she was stating a fact.

The voice was quiet, as always, but if it had been a real cat, she swore it would have shrugged.

She sighed, picking up the mouse from earlier and starting up in the direction the city was. If you had climbed a tall tree, you probably would see some of the tips of the two-leg buildings.

Even though she was traveling at a rather fast pace, it would take awhile until she hit the edge of the city, let alone the deeper parts where Hook and his group were. The city was a big place and had lots of cats, especially when others came every twelve moons or so.

But just as she expected, she came across a she-cat hunting. She didn't have the markings she, oh so hated, nor the correct gender.

She had no conflict with this cat.

In the end, she had scared off the cat with a simple, yet 'terrifying' growl.

And then, a short ways-away, she spotted a brown tabby tom sitting down. She was preparing to kill him when she noticed two little kits playing around him. One was a black, like her, and the other was a brown tabby like the tom who seemed to be her father. Her eyes widened and she stepped back. Brief flashes of her kit-hood appeared and she ended up stepping on a twig.

Instantly, the tom turned around in her direction, startled, but because of her pelt and the shadows she happened to be in, he couldn't see her clearly.

"Come out, whoever you are!" his voice was commanding but it had a definite edge of fear to it. The kits around him stopped playing and looked in the direction the tom was looking. They looked more frightened than the father and she couldn't help but wonder if something bad had happened in their lives before.

The small black kit gazed up at her father, pressing against him, "It's the shadow cat isn't it?" she mewed fearfully.

_Kill them._

_What? They're just kits! I can't kill kits. _She exclaimed, nearly saying it aloud.

_Kits grow up. _The voice replied, one of the rare times it did.

She shook her head and turned around, running back the way she came. She didn't get very far, however, before she turned back to her path and went around the kits and their father.

Despite the shocking result that had come out of her during her runaway, the kits and their father were quickly put out of her mind as she began to smell the roads and the other stenches of the city. Her eyes widened, surprised to be here, and she ran until the trees were behind her.

In front of her laid the city she was born and raised in.

In front of her laid the future place for the fall of Hook.

In front of her laid her home.

**Sooo, how'd you like the first official chapter? It seemed a little rushed to me but I was having a bit of writers block and needed to pull out what was important to the story and what wasn't.**

**I'm trying to put up one chapter a day but with my schedule, I'm not so sure I can. Expect one every 2-3 days and start worrying after about 5-7. Unless I tell you I'll be busy, of course. ^^** **I have several things planned out for this story but I'm not sure if it'll go as long as I'm hoping it will go, sadly.**

**But to finish this off… Review and get a Cupcake! xP**


	3. Chapter 2: Outskirts of the City

**I can't think of much to say other than that this is more of a filler chapter. Depending on how I feel, I might give some history on her but this will mostly be for some time forwarding since I have something planned for the next chapter.**

**And… oh yeah! You might have noticed in my writing that I constantly used she/her but none of her name, Shade. It's more because of the fact that it's only her that I'm writing about for the moment and, in story words, she sort of doesn't have a name/is getting used to it. As you could tell, her name **_**was**_** Ice but she felt the need for change and decided on Shade. When we get more characters in the story, you'll see her name more often but for now, I'll probably keep using her/she. ^_^**

_Chapter 2: Outskirts of the City_

The sky was a dark purple-blue with many stars lighting it. The moon was three-fourths full, about five days from becoming a full moon.

The black she-cat walked around the outside of the city, slowly heading deeper. She kept close to the dark wooden fences, wanting not to be seen.

During the walk deeper into the city, she spotted several cats. When she saw them, she remembered her past training from the city and pressed against the dark fence, making herself crouch to hide in the shadows.

Never think a cat was alone. Always think they have back-up unless you are one-hundred percent sure they don't.

Once they had pasted, she would continue heading into the city. Soon the ground turned into the hard stone that most two-legs used to walk on. It was rough on her pads but she ignored it, facing worse pain in the past. The good thing though, was that with the stone came streetlights that helped light up her path.

Not that she needed them with her excellent eye-sight.

_This will take quite awhile, _she thought after about an hours' worth of walking. She yawned, feeling the dead of night on her shoulders; she wasn't used to staying up this much unless she was tracking someone.

_I need to find a place to stay, _she told herself. She kept up her pace but as she walked, she looked around for what? A box? A dumpster?

Her icy blue eyes scanned the area before finally coming across a broken down two-leg house.

The walls looked like they had once been red stone but most of it was blackened by a fire that had gone through the house. One side of the place had been broken down and crumbled letting the wind and rain come through freely. Where any wood had been, there were holes and they were also blackened with soot and former heat.

The faint scent of smoke and soot hung in the air but it was mostly gone meaning that the fire had taken place many moons ago.

Stepping inside the building, she gazed around the inside. Like on the outside, it was crumbled and soot-filled. Remains of pelts, that the two-legs wore, and other miscellaneous objects were scattered around. The place seemed to be filled with bugs looking for shelter and even some mice and birds. Noticing the light on the floor, she looked up to find that most of the ceiling was missing as well.

Her stomach grumbled and she wished she knew where her mouse had gone off to. She must have dropped it somewhere along the way; perhaps when she had ran away from the kits.

Sniffing around for a quick meal, she caught the scent of cat. And fresh too.

Her fur bristled and a snarl came upon her face as she glanced around the house. By the scent, there was only one cat unless there were several that lived together for a long time. But she doubted the second option.

Peering around a corner, she spotted the cat, a brown tabby she-cat with white markings. She didn't know anything about the eye-color, like it mattered, because she was busy grooming herself. Her fur was covered in soot suggesting that she might have been climbing or exploring and had fallen, blowing up the black dirt and covering her fur.

Taking use of the shadows, and cursing her strength for weakening because she was tired, she arched her back, hissing loudly. With any luck, the cat would only see her chilling eyes.

The she-cat's head shot up, her eyes wide with fear and her pelt bristling to almost twice her size. Her claws were unsheathed and she took a few steps back but didn't run away.

Shade cursed in her mind, this wasn't going to be easy. She hissed again, and, even though it startled the cat again, she didn't move.

She snarled, stepping out where some of the moon-light could light up her pelt. Her light blue eyes stood out against her body, "Have you not heard of me?" she asked, hostility clear in her voice. Every cat that had been around the forest had heard of her and seeing as she wasn't that far away, she doubted that this cat _hadn't_ heard of her.

The tabby she-cat eyed her but then shook her head. Shade stepped forward and the other cat stepped back, clearing wanting space between them.

"I am the shadow cat from the forest. I have come for Hook, deeper in the city." She growled, stepping forward again. The she-cat's eyed widened in recognition and she began shaking in fear although it was hard to see in the light.

"W-what do y-you want?" she stammered, speaking for the first time. "I-I have a mouse. J-just around the corner." She pointed her nose to another room but her eyes never left the stranger.

"LEAVE!" Shade hissed, jumping to land in front of the cat although it would looked like she was pouncing on the tabby.

"Eeep!" the tabby shrieked like a mouse, jumping nearly a tail-length into her air. She turned around and raced out of the nearest exit, afraid she was going to be killed by this mad cat.

Shade grinned, loving the reaction she had gotten out of the cat. She glanced around the corner where the tabby had previously pointed to but she didn't find anything, not even the trance of blood or scent that a mouse had been there. Her grin turned into a frown and she had to resist lashing out at something; anything.

_Everyone lies, just like before, _she thought hatefully, remembering several times she had been scammed out of a piece of food. She just had to go without. Her stomach needed to get used to not eating as much anyway.

Looking around for somewhere to settle down and remain, possibly, in the shadows in case anyone else came here, she spotted a patch of grass that was poking up through the rubble. The moonlight was shining down on the area but she figured her pelt blended in with her surroundings enough that she wouldn't be bothered.

This was probably the last time she took comfort over safety.

Stepping over to the area and laying down, she realized that the voice in her head hadn't spoken at all since the kits. For most that would be a good thing but she felt as if half of her had been stripped away.

The voice had always been with her since she had met Hook and had never been this quiet except at the beginning.

She forced the worrying to the back of her mind as she closed her eyes in hopes of sleep. Being as tired as she was, she quickly found it although she had the same nightmares. One was that she had finally found Hook but then after a fight, he had ended up on top and killed her, laughing manically. Another one was where she had found herself, as a kit. She didn't count this as a nightmare but what else would the reason be for it to be in the middle of all of them?

Of course she saw several different things for her past, almost clearly despite her young age during some of them.

One of them was so real and terrifying, even for her, that she jolted awake to find herself blinking back the sun. She was panting, gasping for breath, and felt sore as if she had been running all night. She slowly climbed to her feet and exited the building, feeling confined within the walls despite the open ceiling.

Once she began back on her journey, it was easy going. She was lucky and caught a rather plump sparrow in one of the gardens of the two-legs. She felt mischievous and had left the feathers and bones right at their doorstep.

She went slowly after that, waiting for the yelling and screaming of the two-legs. Sure enough, they came even from how far away she was.

Those were definitely curse words by the way they were said even though she didn't speak their language. She grinned, feeling more confident about her training and experience in the city.

She met a few cats but most recognized her and ran off. One was curious about her, as she expected by at least one cat. But that soon annoyed her and she threatened to rip his throat out which she was perfectly fine with. She enjoyed the look on his face as he stopped and then turned and ran off in the other direction.

The smell of smoke and more thunder-paths grew stronger and she eventually found the buildings getting taller. Most were only twice the size of a normal two-leg home but some special ones were as close as five times the normal size.

She was used to it though, so it didn't bother her.

Soon she began scenting out the faint traces of a group of cats. She could tell it was a group because it was a mixture of scents, not quite the same as one cat might leave.

_Hook's group, no doubt._ She thought, unsheathing her claws even though they scraped against the stone she walked on. She felt the fury rising in her but with no one to take it out on, she forced it down. Hook would see it soon.

The hunt was officially on.

**Now, I'm sorry for the wait and horribleness of the chapter. I was busy and I had a bit of writer's block. **

**School is going to start in about a week and I'm so excited! *sarcastic look* If I stop uploading chapters around that time, please be patient! I didn't die or anything. :P**

**But as I explained earlier, this was mostly a filler chapter. I tried to make it as exciting as it possibly could be but I felt like a giant FAIL should be put on my head. Another thing, I might put 'she cursed' a lot and that's because I'm trying to keep good, clean fingers and a good mouth. ^^ Of course, they run through my head so feel free to 'replace' them with your own. xD**

**Until next time! And believe me, the next one will be a bit of a shocker at the end with the chapter after that to give more explanation. xP**


	4. Chapter 3: Captured

**I'm super sorry for the long wait guys and gals! I've just been busy with school… other hobbies… and ya know, stuff. xP I forced myself to sit down and finish writing this chapter and it was so hard! Anyway…**

**Thanks to all my reviewers and loyal fanfictioners who are still reading this story after the long wait! *hands out cupcakes* *noms on cookie***

**Now on with the story!**

_Chapter 3: Captured_

Unknown's POV:

(**You'll figure it out, don't worry. Or you should be able to figure it out… Also, this is in first-person but I'll try to keep it short for those who don't like it. ^^**)

I sat in what the two-legs called a wooden basket. It had tall walls, two feet at least, but it was flipped on its side so it was almost like a cave. Cotton from pelts and furniture lined the inside along with soft down feathers from many different birds.

I was the leader of this place so it suited me quite well.

I was bored out of mind though, as I sat in there. I was about to leave when my second-in-command came and stood in the entrance. "Yes?" I asked, growling slightly. As I stated before, I was leader and so I had to show that I was, even to my second.

"Sir, I have something important." I raised my eyes in a questioning look as he stepped into the back with me. He dropped his voice into a whisper that might seem impossible for him.

"She's back."

My eyes widened, memories coming back and flashing before my eyes. I had met many she-cats in my life, leaders of groups, queens, just about any type there could be in the city. But with my second being this serious, I knew who he was talking about. He had been with me since we were kits and we knew just about everything in each others life.

The shadow cat, the rumors said about her.

Of course, I had known her personally. I had known her as Ice.

But after a string of events, she had left the city. I never knew where she went until the rumors began popping up.

My second began to worry when I hesitated but as he saw the grin come on my face, he knew I could handle it.

"Move the camp, it's about time we did so anyway. Tell the high-ranking and have them spread it throughout the group that can be trusted. Tell them to capture her on sight."

He had turned to carry out my orders but before he could look away, I flicked my tail for him to stay but a moment more, "And, make sure _she's_ accounted for."

For some reason, I didn't dare speak names even in the safety of my den.

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**((*Annoying authors note* I had all this written but stopped right here. So if anything seems a little out of place or OOC for my character, please tell me.))**

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A deep sigh had come from the black she-cat. She had been in the city two days since she had first scented Hook's group and nothing exciting or relating to her goal had happened since. The only thing that stood out in her memory was encountering one member of Hook's group.

He ran away after that, though rather from fear or information gathering she wasn't sure.

She scratched her claws on nearby wooden fence, for once wishing there was a cat she could give a good beating to if not kill. There were a couple of kittypets talking in a yard over but they were plump with two-leg pellets and wouldn't put up much of a fight.

Shade once again sighed, growling slightly as she walked through the city. She was deep in, now, but she recognized it as the 'poorer part' as she had heard it. Kitty-pets could translate a few things from the two-leg language and if they met some travelers, it could spread easily.

A couple of thin cats slunk through the dark alleyways, searching for food or other things. A yowl echoed through the walls but was quickly cut off and she merely twitched an ear. She had heard much worse before not that it mattered.

She spotted a couple of cats coming out of one alley, looking around. They looked rather well-fed but strong as well so they couldn't be kitty-pets…

_No! Not yet! _She thought, turning around quickly and racing off for a head start.

"Hey!" she heard the shout behind her and the thumping of paws against the ground. They were most definitely going to capture her.

_No. I can't let myself get captured! He would just use me again…_

She quickly glanced over her shoulder, barely managing from tripping. She recognized the head cat, a dark gray tom, but not the other one, a young brown tabby tom. The head cat was the second-in-command, nearly co-leader, for Hook.

She turned back around hoping to remember the map she had made in her head _and _think of ideas. _Dead end, dead end. _She thought, looking at each of the alleyways. Flint had always been fond of her whether she was supposed to know or not. _Maybe… no! That would be too risky even for me._

She raced forward, her legs beginning to tire. She could keep going for awhile at this pace but not without needing a long rest and possibly even some life-givers (herbs).

"Stop!" another shout was heard behind her and she tried to push her paws harder.

Only a second too late did she notice her legs get tangled up with each other and her body falling towards the ground. Luckily, she had only a few cuts on her chin and chest but the cats were able to catch up to her and pin her down before she could run again.

"Gotcha, Ice." Flint smirked, sharp white teeth appearing. Shade tried struggling but with the weight and strength of the two toms, she couldn't budge. She remembered how much she had toughened herself up since being with Hook's group and tried to pretend she was once again that cat that was long gone.

Shade's tail drooped against the ground and she gave a sigh of defeat, "I give. Take me back to your group." She had been hoping they had been trying to capture her to take her back to Hook and, as she predicted, they had.

So, she ended up being pressed between the two toms which was a little uncomfortable. After being alone for so long, she had grown out of being so close to cats.

Of course, she had to be close to injure or kill cats but that was different.

She shifted on her paws as they walked back to Hook's camp. She remembered that he had chosen to move it every now and then to reduce threats from other cats. As she was shifting though, she accidentally brushed against the brown tom and he roughly nudged her back with his shoulder, meaning she was pushed into Flint. He was smart enough not to push her back into place; she had corrected herself. But, she figured it would probably be even harder to escape than she had hoped.

She sniffed the air and caught a strong scent, familiar but new and unknown as well. She barely kept a growl from rising up in her throat. Flint glanced at her from the corner of his eye and grinned.

Shade glared at him but decided this was as good a time as any. If she knew cats well enough, they got more relaxed the closer they got to home or, in this case, the base.

Almost out of the blue, she rammed her shoulder into Flint. He just barely kept himself from falling over but had taken a short moment to gather his bearings. The other cat stared in shock, almost perfectly timed with Flint in how long he halted.

Shade had planned on leaping away, perhaps finding a way onto the roofs but almost as sudden as she had turned against Flint, there was a streak of black tackling the brown tom. She was stunned but quickly figured out that it had been a cat, helping her none the less. She turned to Flint, a snarl on her face as she unsheathed her claws.

Flint turned to her, also unsheathing his claws and leapt forward. Shade quickly sidestepped and gave a slash across his side as she did so. He growled and whipped around, giving her a small cut on her cheek that she hadn't had time to avoid.

Shade hissed, about to tackle him when the black streak returned and pushed him over. Shade was about to speak but the other black cat and shoved her under a nearby dumpster, settling next to her.

"Wha-" Shade was interrupted by the cat.

"Close your eyes." the feminine voice meowed, closing her own which Shade had noted as green.

Where had she seen those before?

Shade, sensing no danger from this cat, closed her own icy blue eyes. Why had this cat saved her? What did she want in return?

Shade felt the presence of Flint as he looked under the dumpster and felt his gaze burning on her fur but then the burning sensation faded after a couple of moments.

"Hook won't be happy. We lost her, them." The tom growled, the voice slightly faint from her position. She heard something hit the ground and he knew Flint was taking out his anger on the other tom by tossing him to the ground. "Get up, we must report." She heard a few grunts and heard the paw-steps fade away.

She opened her eyes and scrambled out from under the dumpster, noticing the other she-cat doing the same. Shade shook her pelt out and glared at the couple of cats that had been watching them. They turned away, doing anything but looking at the two black she-cats.

"Why did you… er, save me?" Shade asked. She didn't want to admit the cat had saved her but, she had.

"You're Ice, correct?" the cat asked, tilting her head a tiny bit.

Shade felt a snarl creep upon her face but she forced it away, "What's it to ya?" she instead replied.

"Well, I-I'm…" the she-cat looked away, clearly nervous about something. Shade inspected the she-cat, having a feeling that she was familiar although she was positive she had never seen her before.

"I'm… I'm what?" Shade questioned, her curiosity beginning to get the best of her. The she-cat quickly turned back to her, their eyes looking deep into each others. She had decided to share, finally.

"I'm your daughter."

**Oh my gosh.**

**Who expected it? XP**

**Also, I take back the update time I said in one of the previous chapters. If I'm gone a year, then you worry. :D As for now, Go and review!**


	5. Author's Note

**Hi guys, bad news.**

**First of all, you should know that this ISN'T an update.**

**Second, I think I'm going to stop with story. The thing is, I just can't keep up with it anymore and I'm losing inspiration. I'll keep up the story but I doubt I'm going to continue it unless it's a year later. xP**

**I might put up a collection of one-shots I often get ideas for but other than that, I don't really have anything else planned. I've loved every comment y'all have given me, constructive or not, and I have to say I'm gonna miss ya.**

******So, I guess this is goodbye, for now. *hands out last plate of cookies***  



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